Aurora man gets 26 years for '05 attempted murder

An Aurora man who was found guilty in absentia last year of attempted murder but was later taken into custody was sentenced Friday to 26 years in prison.

Reputed street gang member Augustine T. Montes, 25, did not show up for trial in Kane County last year, where he was accused of firing a gun at a man he believed to be a gang rival in November 2005

Montes, who was out on bond, was found guilty by a jury in May. About a week later, police, acting on a tip, arrested him at a DeKalb address.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Montes attorney Tim Mahoney asked Judge T. Jordan Gallagher to grant a new trial, arguing that Montes had not been properly warned about the consequences of not appearing for trial. However, the judge ruled that Montes had been adequately admonished, and he rejected the motion.

The 26-year prison term was the minimum under state law, which requires a six to 30-year term for attempted murder and a mandatory 20-year add-on for discharging a firearm during the commission of the crime. By law, Montes must serve 85 percent of the sentence.

At the trial, an informant testified that Montes exited a car and chased a man on foot before firing once, but missing. He is awaiting trial on another attempted murder charge, in which authorities allege he shot a man in the foot. There are also drug charges pending against him.